First David Bowie and now Prince.
Prince, 57, born Prince Rogers Nelson, was found dead today at his Paisley Park recording studio complex in Chanhassen, Minn. The artist had reportedly not felt well since early April and canceled a concert date in Atlanta. The Purple One was briefly hospitalized Friday after his plane made an emergency landing in Illinois. He was reportedly recovering from the flu.
Celebrities took to Twitter to voice their grief shortly after the news broke.
I’m Crushed!! UK news reporting Prince Is Dead?! For Real?! Massive Loss for us all! What a Genius! Speechless.
— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) April 21, 2016
And just like that…the world lost a lot of magic ✨ Rest in peace Prince! Thanks for giving us so much…
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) April 21, 2016
I’m a man of words I’m kinda speechless on losing #Prince it’s like the Earth is missing a note. Little to say-only thing to do is play ….
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) April 21, 2016
#prince I just don’t feel like it was his time to go yet… We should hav celebrated him more while he was alive .
— Natasha Bedingfield (@natashabdnfield) April 21, 2016
‘The year the music died’
For fans of pop music spanning the past four decades, 2016 has been a rough year. With the death announced today of Minneapolis native, Tulsa World Scene writer Jerry Wofford labeled 2016 as “the year the music died.”
Other notable musician deaths this year include country legend Merle Haggard, rapper Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, Glenn Frey from the Eagles and Maurice White from Earth, Wind and Fire.
As much as possible, please enjoy this Spotify playlist created in tribute to a musical pioneer and champion of artist’s rights. (Due to Prince pulling his catalog from several streaming services in 2015, the authenticity of these tracks may be suspect in some cases, and some of the artist’s most popular tracks appear unavailable.)
